Diamond Dawgs take Apple Cup series

SEATTLE - Kyle Conley hit a pair of two-run homers to back the four hit pitching of Nick Haughian as the Washington Huskies beat the Washington State Cougars 5-1 before 1,093 fans in the finale of a three-game Pac-10 series at Husky Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.

With the win the Huskies took the Apple Cup of baseball two games to one and, more importantly, improved to 10-8 in the Pac-10 and 31-17 overall, while the Cougars dropped to 6-12 and 27-22.

Conley had his third multiple home run game of the season to increase his team leading total to 16 and, with four runs batted in increased his team leading total in that category to 52. He also singled and drew an intentional walk to reach base in all four of his plate appearances.

In the last seven games Conley has gone 15 for 25 with six home runs, nine runs scored and 18 runs batted in. His first homer of the game, with David Bentrott aboard on a single, gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. It just cleared the left field wall over the outstretched glove of a leaping Scott Suttmeier.

Conley's second homer of the game came in the bottom of the third following a single by Andy Lentz. t He lined a 3-2 pitch from Chad Arnold down the right field line for what looked like a double, but the ball did not come down until it cleared the wall by the foul pole.

Bradley Boyer completed the scoring for the Huskies and made it 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth when he led off with an opposite field homer, his fourth, over the right field wall.

Meanwhile, Haughian (6-4), the left handed ace of the rotation, came through with another stellar outing on the mound. He went the distance for his third complete game, allowing only a run on four hits and three walks. He struck out 11, raising his Pac-10 leading total to 99. Haughian faced only the minimum 12 batters through the first four innings, allowing only one baserunner on a single by Travis Coulter to lead off the game, but he picked him off to end the inning.

The Cougars got their only run in the top of the fifth when they loaded the bases with one out on a walk, single, and hit batter. Michael Weber drove in Alex Burg with a sacrifice fly to right. The Cougars still had two runners on and looked like they would cut into the 5-1 deficit when Shea Vucinich lofted a fly ball into shallow right field that had trouble written all over it, but Lentz made a nice diving catch to end the inning.

The Cougars threatened once again in the ninth, getting the first two runners aboard on a single by Jim Murphy and a walk to Jared Prince, but Burg grounded into a double play for two outs and Suttmeier struck out looking to end the game.

In the field the Huskies got an outstanding play from Bentrott in the top of the sixth. With one out, Paul Gran hit a line drive that third baseman Brian Pearl managed to get his glove on, but did not catch. However, Bentrott dove to catch the ball and just did catch it before it hit the turf.

The Huskies next travel on the road to face third ranked and Pac-10 leader Arizona State in Tempe in a three game series from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18. They then return home for a nonconference game against Lewis-Clark State on Tuesday, May 20 and finish the regular season at Husky Ballpark with a three game series against sixth ranked Stanford from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, May 25.